MY LADY JANE -- An Entertaining Yet Unremarkable Historical Romance

Review by Tatiana Miranda

Based on the book by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows, the new Prime Video series My Lady Jane reinvents the tale of Lady Jane Grey, also known as the "Nine Days' Queen." Similar to the Hulu series The Great, My Lady Jane doesn't refrain from taking artistic liberties when reimagining Lady Jane's life, instead setting her story in a world where people called Ethians can shapeshift into animals. While this might sound a bit cheesy and likely not everyone's cup of tea, it makes it clear that the show isn't meant to be true to life and makes it more similar to Netflix's supernatural YA series Shadow and Bone rather than a historical drama like The Crown.
The series starts off in a straightforward enough manner, focusing on Jane as she concocts treatments and evades her meddling mother (who is akin to Lady Featherington from Bridgerton), but quickly takes a turn as her best friend and servant is revealed to be an Ethian. While Ethians are common in this world, they are heavily discriminated against and banished in England. It isn't until she becomes close to another Ethian looking for a cure that she realizes how unethically they are treated. Then, as the real Jane Grey's story progresses, her cousin King Edward VI dies and she is named queen. With her new position, she makes it her mission to free Ethians, even if that leads to her demise.​

As is the case with most period dramas to come out in recent years, My Lady Jane doesn't skip out on sex scenes and crass humor. While it is more tame than The Great, it feels reminiscent of Reign in its historical inaccuracies and romantic subplots. Similar to Reign, even with its topic of discrimination and injustice, My Lady Jane doesn't try to be more than a period romance. Filled with steamy sex scenes and damsels in distress, it finds its audience in those already ready for the next season of Bridgerton. 

Because the show is comparable to plenty of other historical dramas available to viewers, it doesn't quite stand out beyond its somewhat out-of-the-blue supernatural element with the Ethians. Still, even that feels like a motive for characters and the plot rather than an actual element of the story that affects the genre. While it is wildly entertaining, with captivating characters and a well-developed romance, it does find itself as just another young adult-oriented period drama adaptation. The cringy covers of classic rock songs mixed with a snarky voiceover make it clear that the series is meant to be more entertaining than enlightening. Still, after similar shows like The Great found a way to mix humor, romance, and emotional beats effectively, My Lady Jane feels a bit lackluster.

Nevertheless, for fans of shows like Reign, Shadow and Bone, and Dickinson, My Lady Jane is sure to be a new favorite. With the series' unfinished business and hints at a continuation, it will likely leave fans excited for another season.

My Lady Jane premiers on Prime Video on June 27. All eight episodes reviewed. ​

Rating: 3.5/5